SUPER PICK
STAS THEE BOSS, JUSMONI, DJ LAMAR LEROY
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) THEESatisfaction was years ahead of its time. Blending the neo-freak soul of Erykah Badu and the Afrofuturist hip-hop of fellow Emerald City cohorts Shabazz Palaces, the Seattle duo of Stasia Irons and Catherine Harris-White built an under-the-radar yet dedicated following after dropping their Sub Pop debut, awE NaturalE, in 2012. As befalls many projects with two visionaries, Irons and Harris-White went their separate ways in 2016 after releasing only two studio albums. Fortunately, that wasnât the end of the story. Harris-White has gone on to perform and record with her R&B solo project, SassyBlack, while Irons has been more low-profile but no less busy. She DJs at Seattle clubs, hosts the Sway x Swoon pop-up house party, and frequently releases instrumentals and remixes (as Stas THEE Boss) on SoundCloud. Her 2014 Bandcamp release, Stas for Hire, is six tracks of space jazz and Dilla-esque beats. Proof of the enduring testament to Ironsâ workâboth with THEESatisfaction and as a solo artistâcan be found here in the Pacific Northwest. You canât listen to Blossom, Neill Von Tally, or the Last Artful, Dodgr without hearing her influence. Joined by Seattleâs cosmic R&B singer JusMoni, Irons is sure to provide just enough THEESatisfaction nostalgia for the fans, but more importantly, sheâll be keeping her eyes and ears open, as always, to the future. SANTI ELIJAH HOLLEY
WEDNESDAY 6/14
WEEED, BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT, TROLL
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) Hailing from 4/20-friendly Washington state, Weeed is a stoner rock band for people who lover stoner rock. Theyâre jammers without borders, and arenât subtle about their sources of musical inspiration (the closing track on 2015âs Our Guru Brings Us to the Black Master Sabbath is a 15-minute opus called âNatureâs Green Magicâ). In a live setting, the groupâs energyâwhich is largely driven by a pair of synchronized drummersâis incendiary, and their unabashed rocking is a sight to behold. Weeedâs new album, Meta, is still rich with psychedelic charm and a heartfelt appreciation for reefer. EMMA BURKE
FLOATING ROOM, SINLESS, MINI BLINDS
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) Floating Room is one of Portlandâs best bands, hands down, no questions asked. Their 2016 debut, Sunless, deserves to be more than just heardâit deserves to be felt. The passion and warmth they pour into their live performances is palpable, and enables audiences to really feel their music. Itâs hard to bring shoegaze to life, but Floating Room does so time and time again at their shows. Local indie-pop band Sinless will bring acid-psych sounds to the party. Mini Blinds is another one of Portlandâs most underrated bands; a soft-yet-bright synth-pop dream, Iâve had their album Air Signs on repeat since the weather got nice again (itâs all thatâs been getting me through the stress of finals). DELANEY MOTTER
EUGENE CHADBOURNE, PLANKTON WAT, DOLPHIN MIDWIVES, PAPER GATES
(Turn! Turn! Turn!, 8 NE Killingsworth) Dolphin Midwives is the ambient project of Sage Fisher. A one-woman show, Fisher plays the autoharp, a microtonal zither, various percussive instruments, and uses audio effects on her voice to create epic devotionals. These untraditional arrangements have the power to lull any listener within close range into a peaceful meditation. Her delicate, glistening melodies seem to beckon from some far-off meadow where gnomes traipse through sunlit grass and stars fall from the sky. Her latest release, 2016âs Orchid Milk, is a seminal work of art that seeks to levitate the mind into a zero-gravity space where the listener becomes one with the prismatic sounds of the universe. CHRISTINA BROUSSARD
THURSDAY 6/15
TURTLENECKED, COOL AMERICAN, BRYSON CONE
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Prolific local musician Harrison Smith has been making consistently great art-punk and pop under the Turtlenecked moniker for a couple years, but nowhere does it sound more fully realized than on his stunning new full-length, Vulture. The record is chock-full of catchy earworms and anxious energy thatâs reminiscent of Dayton-hailing weirdo rock pioneers Brainiac or New Yorkâs Les Savy Fav at their most melodically manic, and itâs tailor-made to be witnessed in a live setting like tonightâs. CHIPP TERWILLIGER Read our review of Turtleneckedâs new album, Vulture
LOVEBOYS, SWAMP MEAT, MONTHS
(The Know, 3728 NE Sandy) Read our story on Loveboys.
STAS THEE BOSS, JUSMONI, DJ LAMAR LEROY
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) Read our Stas THEE Boss super pick.
MONO, LOW
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) Countless words could be used to describe the band Mono: instrumental, experimental, noise rock, post-rock, shoegaze, minimalist, contemporary classical, even metal. This gives you some idea that the Japanese four-piece works on large, abstract canvases, creating sounds that are intended to reach the highest rafters in the largest cathedrals. So seeing them in the former gymnasium that is the Wonder Ballroom should be a cataclysmically powerful experience, as they carefully layer melodic phrases on top of simple drones and repetitive rhythms, letting the volume rise, crest, and fall like the waves of an ocean. Their latest album, Requiem for Hell, is based on the Divine Comedy, and while its five slow-burning compositions donât exactly mirror Dante Alighieriâs famous voyage into the afterlife, the trilogyâs themes of mysticism and allegory can be heard in Monoâs metaphysical approach to sound. NED LANNAMANN
FRIDAY 6/16
THE BENEFIT SHOW: LISA VASQUEZ, COOL NUTZ, MIC CAPES, RICH HUNTER, & MORE
(Roseland Theater, 8 NW 6th) Poetic Justice PDX is hosting an all-ages concert called The Benefit Show to honor the heroes of last monthâs MAX tragedyâMicah Fletcher, who survived, and the late Taliesin Namkai Meche and Ricky Best. The lineup features a pretty huge chunk of Portland's hip-hop scene: veteran MC Cool Nutz, up-and-coming rapper Mic Capes, and Rich Hunter (FKA Risky Star), to name just a few. CIARA DOLAN Also read Sneaker Wave..
Pride Party & Art Show: W+K Gay Club x Wildfang
(Wieden + Kennedy, 224 NW 13th) Weiden + Kennedy and Wildfang present a âGay Clubâ Portland Pride kickoff party and art show thatâs sure to be fabulous. Local musical guest Chanti Darling will provide his intoxicating blend of disco-soul while you exhaust the open bar (!!!), and snatch-up some giveaways. There will also be tons of art on display, a silent auction benefitting the Q Center, and food trucks galore. JENNI MOORE
THE ANNIVERSARY, DUDE YORK, FULLBLOODS
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) The Anniversary isnât necessarily a band you could describe as sadly forgotten or criminally overlooked or something like that. The Lawrence, Kansas, quintet had a good run in the early â00s, earning some national attention and building a decent fan base as part of the Midwestâs emo-meets-pop-rock scene. But one thing the Anniversary probably doesnât get enough credit for is making one of the great records of the era, 2000âs Designing a Nervous Breakdown. An effusive amalgam of twinkling guitars, sugary new wave synths, and hyper-catchy shout-along choruses, itâs a perfect balance of hooky and heart-on-sleeve. The Anniversary made another, more classic rock-influenced album and then split up for several years. But now theyâre back, and they roll through Portland tonight. Who knows whenâor ifâtheyâll ever come this way again? BEN SALMON
TEI SHI, MY BODY
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) Listening to Tei Shi (AKA Valerie Teicher) feels like staring out the window of an airplane and watching the horizon fade from blue to rosy pink to deep purple. Which kind of makes sense, considering the rising electro-pop star grew up in Argentina, then Columbia, then Canada, before finally settling in her current home of New York City. Teicherâs music under the Tei Shi moniker occupies this liminal space in the sky; her soundscapes are airy, and her lyrics are dominated by themes of escapism. In 2013 she released her first EP, Saudade, followed by another called Verde in 2015. Tracks like âNevermind the Endâ showed early flickers of promise, with the masterful contrast of its silky melody and sludgy bass line. A few months ago, Teicher finally dropped her excellent full-length debut, Crawl Space. She channels Solange (particularly her 2016 masterpiece A Seat at the Table) with slow-burning R&B beats and soft but powerful vocals, while psychedelic guitar grooves call to mind the sun-dazed rock of Australiaâs Tame Impalaâespecially on standout track âComo Si.â CIARA DOLAN
DONNY MCCASLIN GROUP
(Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan) Thereâs an unavoidable physicality to jazz saxophonist Donny McCaslinâs playing. The Californian seems almost taken by the sound when he performs live, bending deeply at the knees and contorting his body with each swell from his instrument. This feels like a representation of his lifelong work of fitting his lithe and charismatic sound into multiple different ensembles. Of late, thatâs included his tenure in Maria Schneider Orchestra, the modern big band whose PDX Jazz Festival performance was a highlight of the 2017 concert calendar, and, with his quartet, backing David Bowie on his shockingly beautiful final statement, Blackstar. McCaslin and his group visit Portland this week in support of last yearâs Beyond Now, which features splashy covers of Bowieâs âWarszawaâ and originals that bleed electronic matter all over a landscape of modern jazz expressions. ROBERT HAM
BOWIE BIRTHDAY BASH: BOYS KEEP SWINGING, EZZA ROSE, ST. EVEN, THE MORALS, WONDERLY, SEAN FLORA, LITTLE SUE, EMILY OVERSTREET, BABY KETTEN KARAOKE
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) You may be wondering why tonightâs âBowie Birthday Bashâ is happening in June when the Thin White Duke was born on January 8. This Bowie tribute eveningâpacked with an all-star roster of local talentâwas originally scheduled for January to commemorate the late musical chameleonâs 70th anniversary, but got snowed out. So tonight acts like St. Even, the Morals, Ezza Rose, a specially concocted tribute band called Boys Keep Swinging, the Baby Ketten Karaoke crew, and others are making up the date. The show is also being touted as a âcelebration of the 40th anniversary of Ziggy Stardust,â the glam-rock masterpiece that Bowie actually released 45 years ago. But hey, whatâs a little math error when the catalog theyâre working with is perhaps unmatched in the entire rock canon? If they play Ziggy opening track âFive Years,â all will be forgiven. Tonightâs bash will be preceded by a separately ticketed David Bowie sing-along from the OK Chorale. NL
SATURDAY 6/17
LIBERTY BALL SOCIAL JUSTICE BENEFIT: MĂSCARAS, BLUE CRANES, RITCHIE YOUNG (OF LOCH LOMOND) THE GHOST EASE, DJ ERIC MAST (E*ROCK), DJ MICHAEL BRUCE AND SOF AC (GRAN RITMOS)
(Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark) Head to the Liberty Ball Social Justice Benefit this Saturday for âa night of resistance, music, and community.â Thereâll be performances by killer Portland bands like MĂĄscaras and the Ghost Ease, and proceeds will benefit local organizations like the ACLU Oregon, Sexual and Gender Minority Youth Resource Center, and more. CIARA DOLAN
SLAY: DJ RONIN ROC, DJ AUTOMATON
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) See Sneaker Wave.
MUJAHEDEEN, HANDS IN, MALT LIZARD
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) Ali Muharebâs Mujahedeen has come pretty far over the past few years. What started out as a solo project has since brought in more members and completely revamped its sound. Muharebâs vision began as a reverb-heavy outburst of electronic noise, but has since transitioned into jazzier psych territory. It also experiments with post-hardcore thatâs as emotive as Mewithoutyou, with much groovier rhythms than Jawbox. Openers Hands In and Malt Lizard play the same kind of hazy psych thatâs present in Muharebâs slower songs. CERVANTE POPE
SUNDAY 6/18
COREY FELDMAN AND THE ANGELS
(Danteâs, 350 W Burnside) For about five minutes on an otherwise unremarkable morning in September 2016, time stood still. The internet entered the helter-skelter. Lovers and haters were briefly united by their slackened jaws and starry eyes. During this unexpected tear in the fabric of our reality, former child actor Corey Feldman (The Goonies, Stand by Me, The Lost Boys) took the stage at the Today Show with his band of Angelsâfour women with wings, halos, and instrumentsâto perform the song âGo 4 It!â from their album Angelic 2 the Core. Inspired by the late Michael Jackson, Feldmanâs new musical venture exists at the previously uncharted intersection of pop, hip-hop, trap, killer dance moves, and heaven. Following the Today Show appearance, Feldman and the Angels endured tsunamis of ridicule from cowardly hate-mongers (though pop stars like P!nk and Ke$ha shared their support). Itâs shocking, thatâs for sure, but tracks like the aforementioned âGo 4 It!â (which features Snoop Dogg), âWe Wanted Change,â and âTake a Standâ communicate a message thatâs pure as glacial ice. This weekend theyâre playing Danteâsâan ironically hellish choice for this band of angels. CD
MONDAY 6/19
SOUND + VISION: KARMA RIVERA, MAZE KOROMA
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Portland hip hop darling Karma Rivera will be performing at Mississippi Studios on Monday night. A frequent performer at Portland events like the Thesis and Mic Check, Rivera has gained a large following in Portland due to her authentic spirit, killer bars, and captivating stage presence. Opening for Rivera is Maze Koroma of Renaissance Coalition. Heâll be bringing his signature heavy bars and catchy hooks. CLAIRE HOLLEY Also see Sneaker Wave.
HORSE MOVIES, LUBEC, PRISON DRESS, TALLWOMEN
(Black Water Bar, 835 NE Broadway) Horse Movies have come a long way since I saw them at their first show in a sweaty, mildew-scented basement last summer. A true hidden Portland gem, theyâre one of the hardest working bands around. And though they continue to play primarily in basements, itâs nice to see Horse Movies making their mark above ground. Theyâve got a busy summer ahead, including a tour with Bay Area emo band Mom Jeans, so wish them well before they hit the open road. Lubec, Portlandâs favorite existential dream-pop band, will open the night, along with the self-proclaimed âweird punkâ of Prison Dress, and Tallwomenâthe first hardcore band Iâve listened to in a long time that actually caught my interest. DM
LO MOON, SMALL MILLION
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) Lo Moon is shrouded in mystery. With the release of their debut track, âLoveless,â last September, the Los Angeles trioâs magic was manifested in a seven-minute ember of electro-pop not unlike the more revelatory moments of Elbow or the Beta Band. Lo Moon recently released another song, âThis Is It,â in anticipation of their summer tour opening for Glass Animals and Air. Their latest occupies a similarly smoldering corner of expansive, atmospheric pop, bringing big synths and bigger choruses into the mix for a soul-verifying dose of dreaminess. For a band that literally only has two songs released, theyâre generating an inordinate amount of press, and already parlayed that wave into an opening slot on Munaâs tour earlier this year. Itâs tough to say whatâs on the horizon for Lo Moon, but if these early blips are any indication, we can probably expect a pretty fantastic debut. RYAN J. PRADO
TUESDAY 6/20
Happy birthday, Brian Wilson! Mike Love sucks.